Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Grows Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 110.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,855 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,949 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $5,817,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $139,000. Trajan Wealth LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 2,586 shares of the company's stock valued at $721,000 after purchasing an additional 784 shares in the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 20,342 shares of the company's stock worth $5,674,000 after buying an additional 772 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 61,027 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,023,000 after buying an additional 343 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Natixis increased its stake in Marriott International by 578.6% during the fourth quarter. Natixis now owns 191,487 shares of the company's stock worth $53,413,000 after acquiring an additional 163,267 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday. Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $273.10.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $236.20. The company had a trading volume of 1,989,746 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,575,142. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.55 and a twelve month high of $307.52. The company has a market cap of $65.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42. The company's 50-day moving average is $245.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $267.51.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. Sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th were given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.07%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.29%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the sale, the insider now owns 30,919 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,831,393.97. This represents a 29.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,089,714.45. This trade represents a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132 over the last ninety days. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Company Profile

Marriott International, Inc engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Méridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Element Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, City Express by Marriott, and St.